Fibromyalgia and the Brain

Fibromyalgia is a widespread pain disorder that consists of aches, pains and stiffness all over the body. Many fibromyalgia sufferers experience soft tissue tenderness, fatigue and trouble sleeping. It is more common in women than men and is usually classified as a musculoskeletal disease or psychological disorder. The symptoms and causes are layered and therefore many traditional treatments miss the boat and leave the person with a constant daily struggle with chronic pain. Treatments range from physical therapy to pain meds to anti-inflammatories and lifestyle adjustments, diet and sleep aids. The failure of traditional treatments is evident in the number of fibromyalgia support groups available to help sufferers cope with the pain together.

Long-Term Effects of Fibromyalgia Pain

Recent research is showing that living with fibromyalgia pain is not a viable option. In fact, it is now known that living with fibromyalgia causes significant changes in the brain. A group of researchers compared brain images of 10 women with fibromyalgia to 10 women without fibromyalgia.1 Results showed that there was a significantly lower amount of gray matter in the brain in women with fibromyalgia. Gray matter plays an integral role in the central nervous system. Although gray matter loss naturally occurs with age, it appears to occur three times faster in people with fibromyalgia. The researchers stated: “These findings reveal for the first time that patients with fibromyalgia have brain gray matter atrophy. Interestingly, the normal age-related decrease in gray matter was accelerated in fibromyalgia patients and related to disease duration.”

Prolotherapy for Fibromyalgia Pain

As we read this study we thought of the many people who just live with their pain. The thought that not dealing with pain doesn’t cause any harm is simply wrong. Not only should you seek help for your pain so that you can live life, you should also seek a cure for your pain to prevent serious health risks. A Prolotherapist’s approach to fibromyalgia involves a multi-layered approach depending on the individual patient. Prolotherapy is almost always part of the treatment as it addresses the underlying ligament laxity behind chronic joint pain. Some Prolotherapy offices have the capability to address hormone levels, diet for fibromyalgia and sleep problems. Resigning to live with your pain clearly has undesirable long-term effects. Chronic use of pain medications also has undesirable long-term effects. A better option is to consider an experienced Prolotherapist who can address the whole patient and underlying causes of fibromyalgia.